Broken Bones and Gold: A Guzma Fanfiction
by Undertowliterature
Summary: (Guzma Fanfiction, GuzmaxOC, Guzma) When Kona's little brother falls deathly ill, she will stop at nothing to find a treatment, but when that certain treatment is too expensive, how will she pay for it? The distressed but determined big sister joins notorious Team Skull, hoping to make quick cash. Rated M for upcoming content.
1. Chapter 1

It was pouring rain. Of course it was raining. What could possibly make this venture any worse than it already was? Soaked clothes, that's what. Kona was surprised that it wasn't also freezing cold, but this was Alola, where the rain was warm and uncomfortably sticky. Without an umbrella, Kona dragged on, her feet trudging through sludgy mud. She didn't mind when her awkward marching caused the muck to splash up her legs, dousing her shorts in gloppy dirt. The girl's clothing was already tattered, torn, and stained from years of employment.

Ewa City was mostly a beggar's boondocks, located on the tiny island of Ula'ula, and Kona and her 'family' had lived there their entire lives. There was just not enough money to move. The residents were mostly shady thugs, black market dealers, and scarcely innocent citizens who couldn't find a way to leave. Ewa city was a black hole of old city dumps and rental houses too small to be homes, but it was Kona's only home. Despite her lack of family, Kona found comfort in her and her brother's house that was more of shack than anything else. It was a livable space, but making a living in Ewa was a whole other story. You had to be sly, tricky, and ready to throw away any morals you had left to scrape up enough money to get by, and Kona had experienced a fair share of it all. This was no different.

Malai, her younger brother, had fallen ill. Kona suspected that he'd been poisoned out in the unkempt wilds surrounding the town. A young Nidorino perhaps, scared of the young boy stomping around his territory. Either way, Malai didn't have long. For now, the neighbors were keeping watch over her little brother, waiting impatiently for Kona to return.

The steaming rain hardly fazed the girl as she neared her destination, feeling uneasy to the core, but despite the gnawing butterflies in her stomach, her pace was oddly determined. Ready to discard all morality for the sake of family, Kona followed a winding path to a towering superstructure. Ten yards from the building, she halted, standing under the downpour to examine what lay ahead. Bracing herself, Kona tried not to gawk at the iron walls, but instead stared at the much less intimidating doors that would slide open to reveal what extents she was willing to go to for money. Behind the castle-like walls was a group of people that most would do anything to eradicate, and she was about to beg them for help. If it weren't for her brother, Kona would've felt weak in the knees. Unfortunately, if it weren't for her brother, Kona would never have to be here.

With a firm sigh, the jittery teen made her way down the rest of the muddy road, refusing to let herself stop anymore. Before she reached them, the metal doors glided open to unfold a rather unwelcoming scene. Two pairs of gleaming eyes were peering back at her with a malicious glint, causing her to freeze in place. The pair slinked forward, not averting their low-lidded glares that sent cold shivers down Kona's spine. Rain water rolled off the tanned shoulders of two discouraging thugs who stepped towards her in rhythm, splashing soggy dirt as they stomped nearer. Kona gulped, trying to push down the lump in her throat.

Both of the thuggy boys were dressed in black wife-beaters, sporting badly-dyed blue hair, and silver skull chains that danced around their necks when they moved. Their expressions were unreadable behind the black bandannas wrapped around their mouths, but Kona had a feeling they were a little too eager to meet her.

One of the boys spoke up, raising his eyebrows as he approached, "Yo yo yo, what we got 'ere?"

The other chimed in, snickering "Looks like a lost mousy, yo!"

Kona could tell these were the people she had come for. She hadn't prepared anything in her head, however, and stood in silence, a little taken aback by the reality sinking in.

"She must be mute or something, bro," the significantly taller one stated.

"Huh, sure looks like she ain't def though!" his friend replied.

Feeling obligated to speak up, Kona squeaked out a few words, "I'm not mute." Her voice cracked, worn out by the long journey. The thugs both raised their brows.

"Hah, the little mousy's just scared!"

"Yeah, bro look at 'er, she's shaking like a leaf!"

"What'chu doin' in Po Town, lil' mousy?" one of the thugs stepped closer, invading her personal space entirely.

Kona turned and looked away, uncomfortable with the rough man boring into her with beady eyes. "Y-you have a boss right? I need to talk to him." Rain pattered down her cold skin numbly.

Both goon's eyes were wide now as they glanced at each other with their arms raised in a shrug. "Aight, the lil' mousy wants to talk to our big bad boss-,"

"-Guess we gotta let her, yo."

They motioned for her to follow them. She noted how terrible their posture was as she followed, her feet almost moving without the rest of her body reacting. Kona's heart was beating out of her chest and her mind was a whirlwind of anxiety, but the flashing image of her baby brother in a tight embrace pulled her along.

What little light that remained was gone when they entered through the doors into Po Town. Flashes of lightning lit the way.

"Welcome to Team Skull, yo."


	2. Chapter 2

Giggling like hyenas, the two Team Skull members led Kona almost blindly through a trashed town. It was even smaller than her own hometown, Ewa, and was twice as abused, with littered bottles, wrappers, needles, and most everything in between. Though it was dark, if she squinted, Kona could catch the silhouettes of shoddy building and houses, some with broken windows, others with buckling roofs. The sodded lawn beneath her flats would suck her into its grasp, as if the rain in Po Town never ceased and the ground had become part of the soaking sky.

Flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder would occasionally interrupt the goons leading her towards a run-down two story building, but their constant, secretive chattering continued until they reached the structure. With their heels, the team skull boys kicked the door open, forcefully pushing their way through collapsing frames. Kona ducked and followed with haste before the doors shut on her face.

"A'ight mousy, the big boss is upstairs. Find ya own way up. We gots business to attend to." the thugs pushed her shoulders aside roughly before she could answer or ask questions, and headed to a door down the hallway, following a filthy maroon carpet. They swung open a bedroom door and disappeared inside, snickering. When Kona finally caught her breath, her gaze began to focus under the dim glow of candles attached to extremely colorful wallpaper. It took her a minute to realize that the wallpaper was actually rather plain, but had been covered in neon graffiti.

Almost daintily, Kona tip-toed around broken glass and crumbed interior, reaching a flight of dusty stairs that spiraled into the second floor. For a moment she wished that the thugs had stayed with her to finish guiding her to their boss, so that she didn't feel so alone in the somber, decrepit building that appeared to be an old hotel. As she ascended the staircase, she felt as if she were exploring a haunted mansion alone. The only noise was the drip, drip, drip of water falling from her drenched outfit.

The second floor was identical to the first, except with more pieces of the ceiling lying at her feet. Indistinguishable rooms with matching wooden doors lined the hallways, and Kona wondered exactly which one she was meant to find the 'boss' in.

Across from her, Kona recognized another thug as a Team Skull member pacing about the halls, but this time it was a female. The girl had a similar uniform and crappily-dyed pink hair as the last two goons, yet Kona felt more relieved to see her.

With a hand waving in the air, Kona called to the female thug, hoping to herself that she would be more welcoming. "H-Hey! Can you help me?"

The thug turned towards the voice, swollen, red eyes practically bulging from her head like an exhausted frog, her nose dry and dripping. She was most definitely high off something, but Kona couldn't tell which drug had made the girl so... well gross looking. Again, she hoped to herself that maybe the female thug was actually just sick. A grunt was the girl's reply as she stabilized herself against a wall, coughing sporadically.

"Are you alright?" Kona stepped cautiously towards the girl. No response. "I just need to speak to your boss..."

This time she acknowledged Kona, raising a shaking arm to point down the hall at a neon-splattered doorway.

"Thank you," Kona scuttled away from the thug girl who was now dry heaving, spitting up the remains of her cough onto the floor.

Nobody stood at the entrance, so Kona assumed a knock at the door would suffice. Stifling a sigh, she held up her jittery fist and thumped the wood as if she were insecure about it. It wasn't like she had confidence to begin with. Her brother was the only thing pushing her past this already unbearable comfort zone.

Kona's gentle knock reverberated throughout the building as if waking up a sleeping giant. In a heartbeat that sent Kona flying back, the doors were thrown open with force, blowing her wet-heavy hair across her cheeks. She shut her eyes from the shock and stumbled when she heard a voice that sent fear washing over her body in waves.

"Who allowed a soggy rat to waltz into our crib uninvited? Huh?! Do we just let random strangers in now?! Who the hell was supposed to be watching the gates?"

Kona's eyes snapped open, filled with a mixture of terror and agitation. _Why was everyone using rodents to describe her? Did she really look that bad?_ The thoughts left her mind swiftly as she took in what lay ahead. A royal purple carpet doused in a rainbow array of spray paint stretched across the floor, leading directly to a wide, violet throne chair. Sitting livid in the throne, with his hands balled into fists, was who she assumed (by everything about him) to be the boss.

He didn't resemble the other goons that Kona had met so far, despite the similar thuggish styles. The boss was much taller, even hunched over, and had unkempt curly white hair that framed a long, square jawline. A gold chain was slung around his neck, glimmering under the dark light, reflecting onto his dusty tan skin. Kona had a feeling that nobody in Po Town got proper sleep because even their boss had the baggy shadows under his eyes from lack thereof.

The man pointed a faded tattooed arm in Kona's direction, eyeing her with a bewildered curiosity. "Hey! You! Got a death wish or somethin'?"

"I want to join," Kona blurted out, feeling the words tumbling out almost into a sob. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be questioned so much. She just wanted her brother to live. Anxiety boiled up in the core of her stomach, threatening to bubble over, but she was able to hold it back by gnawing on her wet lips.

The room went still, as quiet as it had been before she knocked on the door. Even though her eyes were staring into the leader's own, her vision was blurred by the pounding in her skull, but she could still make out his faint expression: bafflement. Again, the only noise was the drip, drip, drip falling sadly from her t-shirt. One question clouded her mind, _why am I here?_

"I'd ask what makes you think you're worthy of joinin' but I'd say you've proved yourself enough. It takes guts to march all the way to the big bad bosses room." A wicked grin stretched across his face before he continued, introducing himself with vigor, "Name's Guzma, newbie. What brings ya here?"

This time it was Kona's turn to be taken aback. She cleared her throat, stepping into Guzma's room with shaky steps, "Thank you... I don't have a reason."

Looking at her with a skeptical twitch of his brows, he grunted, "A'ight. Guess that doesn't matter anyhow. What's your name, kid?"

Kona hesitated before blurting out anything about herself. She didn't want anyone to know... Well, anything. It would keep her safe and give her something of her own to cling onto, so she lied as confidently as possible, "Keaka."

"Keaka...," the fake name rolled off of Guzma's tongue with ease, " Welcome to ya new home!"


	3. Chapter 3

'Keaka' thought she'd been dreaming when the boss had snuck in a wink to her. Now that the initial adrenaline rush had dissipated from her bloodstream, Keaka noticed an array of thugs lounging around the boss's room. Many of them were boys, but a few were girls, all with matching uniforms and hair color. Keaka supposed that she'd soon be in the same attire. They were all whispering amongst themselves, staring idly at the newbie who had the balls to barge into Guzma's throne room.

"Yo! Wanna battle, newbie?" one of the boss's many thugs came forward, tossing a familiar red and white ball into the air. A Pokeball. He was thin and gangly, but had a stubborn air about him.

Keaka panicked. "I...," she stopped herself from admitting the truth. She'd never had a Pokemon before. She'd never battled before. "I can't. I don't have any pokemon to battle with." The reaction she received was much more exaggerated than what she anticipated at first. Every Team Skull goon in the room gasped, eyeing Guzma with faces that screamed, _'Don't let her join, boss. She's stupid.'_

Guzma raised a fist and growled menacingly to the crowd, silencing them all effortlessly. "Excuse my grunts, they weren't taught any manners. 'Ere, take this, girlie." the man pulled an orb from his baggy pants and tossed it lacklusterly in her direction.

She caught the Pokeball firmly in her palm, unfamiliar with the feeling. It was, however, nostalgic. The only Pokemon she cared for were the ones her brother was overly-enthusiastic about. Flying types mostly, he'd always had a soft spot for birds and their free-spirited nature, but Kona had never had the time or luxury to go out and catch one herself. Her job was to support her baby brother, who had become more of a son to her than anything. The last time she'd held a Pokeball, it had been an early birthday present to him.

Her grip on the Pokeball had turned her knuckles white until she was pulled from her memory by the boss's rough voice directed at her.

"That's a Joltik. A feisty lil' guy known as the 'attaching Pokemon'. Battle my grunt and I'll really deem you worthy of joinin' Team Skull."

The lanky grunt nodded at his boss and turned to Keaka with a chuckle. "Good thing he said you didn't have to win c'us I ain't goin' easy on ya!" The hand hidden in his pockets swung out, flinging an activating pokeball to the ground. A blue glow emanated the capsule, releasing the red and black figure of a ladybug Pokemon, Ledyba. For an intimidating looking guy, the grunt sure had a cute side-kick that squealed in delight at the sight of its trainer.

Fortunately, Keaka had been to a fair share of her brother's Pokemon battles to cheer him on. She knew enough that the electric Joltik would have a slight type advantage over the opposing grunt's Ledyba. Hesitantly, she clicked open the Pokeball in her own hand, letting the blue releasing light slide the the floor. In seconds, a neon yellow, fuzzy ball of eyes appeared in front of her feet, glancing around eagerly for its trainer. When it didn't recognize anyone, it turned to stare with four glimmering eyes up at Keaka, its new owner. She blinked at it reassuringly, feeling a little to cliche about speaking to a little spider in front of so many people, but luckily the creature seemed to understand. It faced the Ledyba, sporting a not-so-scary glare.

Guzma's grunt didn't pause to let Keaka get situated before commanding his Pokemon to attack. "Blow it away with gust!" With a push of its buzzing wings, the Ledyba formed a small column of twirling air that came hurtling towards Joltik.

In that moment, Keaka realized that she had no idea what moves the Joltik knew, but she could make an educated guess. "Ah-uh, defend yourself with an electroweb!" she shouted before the wind could reach her Pokemon. Although her eyes were glued on the unfolding scene before her, Keaka could feel the eyes of Guzma threatening to break her concentration.

Joltik lept backwards, giving himself room between the tiny tornado and the strings of sparks shooting from his front fangs. His shot traveled through the air column, causing it to stagger and disappear as it caught the Ledyba in a jolting trap of electric webs. The ladybug Pokemon seized as the electricity ran through her tiny, vulnerable body, and she dropped to the ground with a thump. Keaka felt her heart sink at the sight of the poor creature fainting, but felt her heart surge with excitement all at the same time. She found herself flashing a smile to the big boss, Guzma, similar to that of a proud child.

The grunt retrieved his fallen comrade, collecting it inside his Pokeball. He didn't seem upset or defeated, just sort of irritated at himself.

"Ey! You got some skill. Hell, I figured the little Joltik would accidentally shock you, considering you're still covered in water," Guzma cackled, pounding his fists on the handle of his throne, silver eyes gleaming. His grunts followed in laughter.

For the first time, Guzma stood from his chair, and Keaka fully noticed the extend of his height. He was at least six and half feet, or maybe it was just how short Keaka felt when he stood. Either way, her heart began to beat erratically as she recalled the Joltik into her Pokeball. The curly-haired boss stepped closer, and she held out her Pokeball to him. "Thank you for letting me use your Joltik."

With a shake of his head, the boss laughed, "Nah, you keep 'im, newbie. You two make a nice team. Now, we gotta do something 'bout those clothes before you catch a cold in Alola!"

Keaka's cheeks heated up the closer he approached, eyeing her head to toe. She didn't like the way it made her feel, and tried to ignore his stares. Instead, she focused on her new Pokemon companion. If only her baby brother could see this.

"I'll have one of my grunts get you somethin' nice, but you're hair's kinda pretty, I don't want you dyeing it." he stopped a couple feet away from the new girl, slouching to make eye contact.

"T-thanks.. For letting me join and for giving me your Pokemon."

"Tch, no problem. When you're done changin', come back to see me. Got it?"

Keaka nodded abruptly, momentarily captivated by the slight hum in his voice. _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all._


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I'll update another chapter or so, but if I don't get much positive feedback, I'll probably stop. Lots more exciting Guzma interaction coming up though! Thanks for reading!

For a bug, Joltik was pretty cute. Keaka didn't like to keep him in her Pokeball and would release him to wander Team Skull's base. It seemed that the Joltik had taken a liking to her almost instantly; However, it did have a relatively distant personality, disappearing for a while before returning. She didn't mind.

The grunt that had challenged Keaka in the boss's room was the one Guzma chose to escort her to a guest bedroom- tiny- with a moldy bed she feared her feet would dangle off of. _It could be the floor_ , she reassured herself, but the stained sheets were anything but comforting.

"I'll be back. Gotta go find a clean-ish uniform for ya," leaving her for a brief amount of time, the thug slipped out of the room, appearing later with a handful of material and a disheveled towel. His bandanna was pulled down, making him appear less mysterious and twice as attractive than before. "Ta girls didn't have much... so I hope you don't mind one of my own tanks. My shorts might be a little loose on you, so I brought a belt. Gonna have to wear your own shoes for now."

Gingerly, Keaka took the items from his hand, draping her new outfit over the bed frame. "Thanks. Do you have a name?"

He shrugged. "I guess if you really want to, you can call me Grunt J. Welcome to the family, yo."

Keaka forced a toothy smile, "Yeah, feels good to have one."

Without another word, Grunt J turned and exited the room, shutting the door rather gently behind him. Lit candles hanging on the walls kept the dark from engulfing her; In their glow, dancing dust particles glittered like faeries.

She forced herself to undress, freeing her pruned skin from pounds of drenched rags. With the towel, she ruffled out the rain in her hair, feeling glorious now that her dribbling bangs weren't inhibiting her vision.

Starting first with the Team Skull tank, Keaka squeezed herself into what felt like a child-sized top that had shrunk in the washing machine. It fit awkwardly in all the wrong places: The straps fell off her shoulders, yet it had a vice-like grip on her chest and stomach that made it uncomfortable to move around or bend over in. Next she pulled up the black shorts, attempting to keep them up with the belt. Compelling the pants to fit, she stabbed a hole into the belt so that they were suffocatingly snug, not wanting to embarrass herself if they wanted to slide off.

When Keaka finished, hesitation began to sink in. Guzma had told her to come back after she'd finished changing. _Couldn't be anything too bad, probably just more initiation... things._ It still scared her a bit. Maybe she would get her first assignment, time was running out and she needed the money as soon as possible. Keaka had what- a week? Less? There was no room for taking chancing, guessing her brothers numbered days. The cure to his illness ranged from 8,000 Pokecoins, to 10,000. Never in her life had Keaka ever seen so much money. Looking around Po Town, she wondered if Team Skull had even seen that much, either. It was a dump, didn't look like they had anything to spare.

Shaking out the last few droplets from her hair, the newbie started towards Guzma's throne room once again, leaving her clothes to dry.

Guzma was sitting down again, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrests of his chair, his entire atmosphere outwardly changing as she entered the room.

Her stiff appearance made him chortle, "Clothes don't fit too well, eh?"

Keaka tugged a tank strap back up her shoulder, a little flustered. "It's ok."

"How do ya feel about parties?" Guzma shifted the subject, eyes full of frenzied curiosity. For a leader, he was a little... eccentric.

"E-excuse me? Parties?"

"HAH! We throw a party for every new recruit to walk into our family! We ain't gon' treat you any differently."

Rows and rows of liquor on a shelf beside the boss's throne chair made it clear that it wasn't going to be a tea party, but she saw no point in arguing. "Okay."

He caught the reluctance in her tone and frowned, following her gaze to the liquor shelf. "Don't worry girl, we'll take it easy for ya."

Something about the way he spoke made her skeptical that they actually would 'take it easy.' Truth be told, Keaka had never taken a sip of alcohol in her life, but she'd never joined a criminal organization either.

I guess there's a first for everything.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry, this one is a little less eventful, but it has a lot more Guzma and a bit of his perspective. This was uploaded from my phone so there may be some errors.

Guzma didn't wait long before cupping his hands to his mouth in a funnel shape, shouting, "EVERYONE GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE!"

Keaka winced at the outcry only a few feet from her. In less than a minute, grunts from throughout the town were pooling into the boss's room, squeezing to fit in the small space, pushing her around until they all found a place to be, shoulder to shoulder. Some were smiling at her, interested in the new girl standing awkwardly in front of their boss, others gave odd looks that she didn't want to interpret.

"Everyone, meet your new sister!" Guzma pointed a slightly crooked finger directly at her. Blood rose to her cheeks as an entire room of eyes peered at her- a room that was full of ruffians and delinquents. Idle chattering erupted amongst the crowd, all discussing the newbie. "Ya know what that means ladies and gents- we celebrate!" His crew burst into cheers and hollers, completely dismissing Keaka at the mention of a celebration with Guzma's hand directing them to the cabinet of liquor. Everyone poured to the shelf except Keaka who backed away from the crowd, unsure of what to do.

Surprising Keaka, Guzma had lept from his throne quite enthusiastically, landing squarely beside her, a tattooed arm slung over her shoulder. She faltered under the weight of his arm, feeling light-headed by the pressing presence of the boss's towering height and close proximity.

"Lighten up a bit would ya?" Guzma chuckled. "Go get yourself somethin'. You've had booze before, right?"  
Keaka shook her head, "Uhm, not really."

A female grunt interrupted them, holding out a black bottle adorned with decorative gold lettering to Guzma. He snatched it from her with a sideways grin. "Well then, we should start you off with something real nice, eh? Here, take a swig- and _don't_ spit it up. Shits expensive, capiche?"

Nodding, she removed the bottle from Guzma's grip, trying not to shake like a leaf. _As long as they like me... I need the money. I mean, the bottle looks worth half of my brother's medicine._ She tilted the bottle up and parted her lips, allowing the liquid to slide down the back of her throat so that she could escape tasting it. If it tasted as bad as it smelled, she knew that avoiding a single drop on her tongue would save her gag reflex.

Surrounding Keaka, grunts cheered with glasses and bottles held high in the air, proud of their newbie. Proudest of all, Guzma's smile turned into a full-blown beaming grin, revealing his pointed, pearly canines.

Guzma grabbed the drink from her, "Hold on, hon! Don't want to pass out before the party starts."

She spat out the taste of the remaining liquid, only nodding a response. _How long did it even take to get drunk?_ She wondered. Guzma's arm traveled from Keaka's shoulder to her waist, wrenching her thin frame closer to his. The squeal that escaped her throat made Guzma snicker, pleased with the reaction.

"We're happy to have ya!" It's sounded more personal coming from his smirking mouth. Guzma squeezed her waist, raising the bottle in a toast with his other hand to distract the grunts from the squeaky noise that left her.

"We're happy ta have ya!" Everyone echoed their boss.

Guzma's grey eyes were trained to the side of her face, examining her expressions. He wondered how she really felt, who she really was. The new girl wasn't necessarily as mysterious as she was a terrible liar, but something about the determined expression gracing her soft face was intoxicatingly mystifying. _Who the hell joined a stinky gang of criminals for the hell of it?_ Nobody. There was always some reason for an outright lack of common sense, even the boss of Team Skull itself knew that. Maybe under the influence he'd get to know her better. Already, her cheeks and nose grew pink, but maybe it was from the way he was constantly staring at her, like some kind of curious animal.

"I-is there something on my face?" Keaka questioned, patting her cheeks with her fingertips.

"Yeah, actually. There's some pretty on it, there and there," Guzma replied, glancing around the corners of her flustered expression. He felt her pull away, his hand sliding off of her.  
Keaka held her hands up, shaking them almost apologetically, laughing nervously, "Ah-haha!"  
Guzma got a kick out of the blush creeping below her freckles. _Man, this was going to be great._


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I really want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the positive feedback! It really makes my day and encourages me to write so much more. I want to add all of your suggestions into the story eventually, so keep with me as I continue to write. I love you all, thank you so much.

This chapter is longer because I appreciated the reviews, and a just a little more saucy. I'm trying not to jump right into smut because I have an actual plan for where I'm taking this fan-fiction, but I will definitely add some fan service in every chapter until I get to the really lemony stuff. ~ Thanks

While Guzma and the rest were distracted by two grunts hosting a rap battle, Keaka snuck off to search for the bedroom that she had changed her clothes in. It was a closet-like room upstairs, through a darkened hallway that she struggled to reach, leaning against paint-splattered walls. She felt dizzy, but mostly tired and confused, wanting only to pass out on a semi-comfortable surface. Keaka stumbled into the doorway and walked past her pile of old clothes in a damp heap on the floor, feeling drawn to the bed.

At home, Keaka's nighttime routine was to kick off her shoes and pants, jump in bed, and pass out, but in such an unfamiliar place, she wouldn't dare sleep half-naked. Yet somehow in her dazed state, Keaka did just that- threw her shoes into the corner of the room and slid her shorts to the floor, climbing into the dusty, sweaty smelling bed with an exhausted groan. Her eyelids fluttered, then shut close for the night.

The boss had listened to enough of the grunts' rap battle, moving away from the background noise in search of the newbie girl. Moments ago, she'd been right by his side, fiddling with the hem of her shirt like a scared little kid. When she had started giggling at his jokes, Guzma knew that the alcohol was finally getting to her head; His jokes were terrible.

The boss had attempted to ask her a question now that she felt more open, "So, why'd ya really join, huh?"

Keaka shook her head, hair flying loosely in all directions, "I-I just need the money. Some extra coin in the pocket, you know?"

 _Yeah, everyone does, but not everyone joins gangs of criminals._ He thought, almost out loud. _They get jobs... or somethin' else stupid._

Lost in thought, his attention was occupied by a group of chanting grunts, egging on a rap battle about to begin. That's when she disappeared.

Guzma wandered the old hotel trying to find her, fearing maybe she would accidentally hurt herself on broken glass in her drunken state. There was also always the chance that one of his grunts would find her first and mess with the inebriated female like they did with all newcomers. He checked nine different rooms before stumbling across a figure draped over the mattress of an old bed, chest rising and falling in the dark. Squinting, Guzma tried to get a better look at whoever it was. His gaze traveled up the base of their feet, roaming up a pair of bare legs until they arrived at the lace of white... panties? It was the newbie alright, lying half-naked on an grimy, aged bed with her face tucked under a fatigued arm. The boss stood in the doorway for a moment, caught off guard by the heat rising to his core, and staggered back to leave the bedroom as quietly as possible.

 _Damn_. Was all his thoughts could muster. Nothing felt right about the way he did, wanting to walk back into the room and... wake her up. But the newbie looked ridiculously tuckered out, causing Guzma to muster up enough strength to completely flush his mind of any wanted-unwanted thoughts. For a moment, he pitied the new girl. She must've had a long trip to find Po Town, then used what little energy she had to suffer through her introduction to Team Skull, and succumbed to drinking with a bunch of strangers.

Most of the brats who came looking for a family here had an attitude to match the environment, but not Keaka. To him, the new girl's personality felt like the only shiny in flock full of Mareeps. Even if she had spunk, the new girl was fresh meat waiting to be torn apart by their harsh, uncomfortable lifestyle.

A woman's voice concluded his thoughts, "What's going on here? Did we get a new recruit or somethin'."

It was a raspy and cold voice, one he recognized instantly. Plumeria stood behind him, an unamused line for a mouth. He turned around to face his friend. "Eh? Didn't know you were back yet, Plums."

"I got back a couple minutes ago, greeted by a bunch of drunk grunts. What've I told you about starting parties while I'm gone? You remember what happened last time-,"

Guzma cut her off, slightly irritated by Plumeria's lack of trust in his ability to contain his gang, "Yea, we got a new grunt. Wasn't gonna wait for you to get back. It's chill, got it?" Although Plumeria wasn't technically in equal ranks with Guzma himself, he considered her a vital part to the organization, but he'd be damned if he wasn't properly respected.

The woman crossed her arms, her frustration parallel to the boss's, "Sure, boss." Plumeria's attention switched to the closed door behind Guzma, eyeing it suspiciously.

He caught her curious, prying stares, and explained,"Newbie didn't handle the alcohol very well, passed out a min' ago, so keep your damned voice down, woman."

Plums chuckled, rolling her eyes, uncrossing her arms. "A'ight. Is it a new brother or sister?"

"It's a sis'."

"Hm. Guess I'll meet her tomorrow, then."

Keaka slept rather peacefully in the dark room, awoken only a couple times by the noise downstairs. Boombox music played well through the night, but her ultimate exhaustion let her slumber like a Snorlax. The party had been meant for her, but Keaka was never known for being the party type. In fact, Keaka was more well known for taking naps and reading books than for socializing. Friends felt more like a burden to her already burdened life; The only thing important to Keaka was her little brother and making sure he grew up happier than she had.

"Hey. New girl. WAKEY WAKEY!" A voice shattered through Keaka's sleepy dreams, causing her to wake up in a slight panic. It took a second for her thoughts to adjust in the dim lighting, trying to figure out where the hell she was and why she had fallen asleep here.

"Mornin'. I'm not normally awake this early, so I'm not gonna say it again, the boss wants to see ya. And... put on some pants." the voice belonged to a pink-haired teenager, a grunt, who was already leaving the room.

 _Oh. I'm in Po Town with Team Skull. I've joined them._

After a moment of devastated confusion, the grunt's commands echoed in her fuzzy, but clearing, head. _What? Pants? But I- crap._ Keaka tumbled off the bed and hurriedly pulled on her shorts, her face beet red with shame. She must've been drunk enough to forget that she was living with other people now, and had kicked them off before bed. _Wow_.

"SQUEE!"

"What the-," Keaka searched the room frantically for the owner of the noise she'd just heard, startled by the suddenness. There were already too many things happening for a smooth-running morning.

Darting from underneath the bed, a small yellow figure appeared, attaching itself to the fringe of her shirt. "Oh! Joltik!"

The tiny spider looked furious, glaring up at her with four squinted eyes. Keaka felt a tingling shock jolt her lethargic body, outing a yelp from her throat. "SQUEE!" It repeated.

"Ouch! What was that for?" she eyed the creature with a similar glare until the guilt sunk in. "I-I'm sorry. I totally forgot about you last night." Joltik seemed to be listening. "I shouldn't have done that. I know this is no excuse, but you're my first Pokemon and this is still all new to me."

Joltik's gaze softened, and his grip on her tank-top lightened. He seemed contempt with his trainer's apology.

"How about I let you stay on my shoulder, huh? Can I make it up to you that-" before she could finish asking her question, the Pokemon was already scurrying up her shoulder, tickling her skin as it found a comfortable dip to settle in.

Keaka crawled up off the floor, balancing herself on wearied knees. It was too early for so much to be happening, and all she wanted was to fall asleep again.

"I _said_ the boss wants to see ya!" the female grunt appeared in front of the doorway again, hands on her hips.

"Y-yeah!" Keaka piped up, scuttling to follow the girl who was leading her back to Guzma's throne room. She had hoped that she'd be given a couple moment to recuperate before jumping right back into the lion's den, but nope. Team Skull was just as impatient as they seemed.

In the rising daylight, Keaka noticed more than she had the night before. Not just about the grunts, but about the decrepit hotel. Actually, it was more of a mansion than a hotel- royal rather than hospitable. An ironic choice of housing for a notorious gang.

Even Guzma's room looked different with the sun rising from broken windows, casting a light glow on an array of objects that she hadn't noticed before. Newly noted, a king sized bed filled up one corner of the room, surprisingly well-made and too comfortable looking. On the other side, a chest filled with glittering, green jewel like objects lay on the floor, unable to close. She wondered what the jewels were, or if they were even jewels at all. Maybe they were worth a lot of money.

Keaka had been so caught up with the new room that when she finally stared up at Guzma on his throne, she nearly doubled back in surprise. He looked... different too. Had he... cleaned up? The curly white hair on his head appeared softer and didn't shine with grease in the light. Where his unevenly growing stubble had been, a smooth jawline now was. A bit of smudged black (eyeshadow?) around his silver eyes made them pop, his stare appearing sharper. Every little detail about him seemed improved, edited, making the boss look... She refused to admit to herself that he looked handsome. _Crap_ , she just did. _Nope, it must be the tired talking in her head._

"Mornin'. Sleep well?" a slight tint of pink painted his cheeks as if he were remember something that she hadn't.

Keaka nodded, a little too tired and a little too flustered to speak.

"You said, last night, that you need money, right? Well, my good friend, Plumeria, might have something for you to help with. Think you can handle whatever she gives ya?"

Again, Keaka nodded, a little less confident this time. Why so early? Of all the things she didn't expect Team Skull to do, it was to wake up early and get jobs done.

"You know you're allowed to speak to me, right? I might bite, but not _too_ hard." a glowing white smirk erupted his features.

 _Oh god, why did he have to be so damn unnerving._ "Sorry, I'm not a morning person," she mumbled.

A mischievous stare followed Guzma's next statement, "So, you're a night person huh?" The boss obviously meant to discompose Keaka, knock her off guard with all of his well-placed innuendos. It worked.

"Ahhhh, uhm, sure? Wait- no. Not like that. I'm not like that. I didn't mean it _that_ way. I don't know. Ah."

Guzma watched with amusement as the newbie blurted out the first things that came to her mind. It made him want to tease her more, but he held back the urge, and decided to get a bit more serious with his tone. Besides, he didn't want her thinking that he was _flirting_ with her or somethin'. Not that he was or anything. Because he wasn't. That would be stupid.

"Heh, just get goin'. Plumeria is probably out front, cleaning up the party mess. She's kinda difficult ta miss."

With that, Keaka was marching out of the room, more embarrassed than ever before. Why'd she always have to go and make a fool out of herself. _Kill me_ , she thought.


	7. Chapter 7

A disgruntled Plumeria wriggled underneath the weight of a half-full garbage bag slung across her soldier as she dipped to grab trash from her Salazzle's claws. Every once in awhile, the slender lizard would chirp in annoyance at the amount of broken glass she was forced to dodge, but Plum's presence kept the mood light, despite both female's annoyance with being the sole after-party maids.

Plums decided to take a break, slinging the trash from off her shoulder to seat herself on top of a rickety wood bench, her Pokemon followed suit, its gentle stare unblinking as it settled on its trainer's lap. For a moment she stroked the creature's flank, staring blankly at Po Towns's road and a pair of passing grunts. The two seemed cheerful, chattering with bright smiles. It lifted Plumeria's mood a little, to see her 'siblings' awake early and delighted, beaming in the blinding sunlight.

Sometimes, Plumeria could be a grade-a hardass, but when it came to her family, nothing meant more. She hadn't planned to go off on Guzma for hosting an initiation party, however, it irked her that he had been the one to introduce a new sister, and not herself. It was a point of pride for Plumeria, to be the first smiling face the newcomers got to see, and Guzma had ruined that opportunity for her a couple times. After their brief talk that night, Guzma and Plumeria had taken a stroll around the mansion, checking on Grunts and making sure everyone was enjoying the party. The boss was gloating about their new sister the entire walk, mentioning how coy she'd been, explaining the newbie's battle with Grunt J over and over again like a proud father. His eyes would gleam every time the mention of her entered their conversation.

All the hype had Plumeria eager to meet the new girl, so she sat waiting patiently on the bench, using their awaited introduction as an excuse to take a break from cleaning. When Plumeria caught sight of the unfamiliar girl walking timidly out of the mansion doors, she felt her stomach jolt.

The newbie appeared to be younger than herself, possibly eighteen, but her petite size and docile features made it difficult to pinpoint an exact age. Plumeria noted that the newbie fit her outfit cumbersomely, the straps of her Skull Tank-top slipping down freckled shoulders with innocence, uncurtaining her prominent collarbones and a Joltik nestled in the crook of her neck. This girl was not your average Team Skull grunt; She had a soft, delicate air that instinctively made Plumeria feel... protective.

"P-plumeria?" the new girl glanced around until she caught Plums's stare, eyeing the Team Skull admin with nervous inquisition.

Plumeria hopped off the bench, feet landing squarely on a patch of dirt in front of the girl. "That's right, kid. Whata 'bout you?"

"Keaka."

Keaka was frightened by the formidable woman standing before her, hands on hips, leaning down to personally invade her space. Compared to Guzma, Plumeria's appearance was eccentric, flashy; Her hair was coupled into four ponytails of fluorescently-dyed gold and rouge streams, her piercing lemon-yellow eyes ringed with thick eyeliner and white highlight. Much of Plumeria's skin was showing, allowing Keaka to see a familiar pink tattoo adorning her lower abdomen.

"We're glad you joined, Keaka," the woman smiled, standing up straight and crossing her arms.

Keaka nodded, "Boss said you had a... job for me? Is there something I can help with?"

"Right to the point I see, alright. Well," Plumeria surveyed the surrounding Team Skull grounds that were cluttered in strewn garbage. Keaka felt her spirits plummet, taking a wild guess as to what the woman wanted from her. Keaka had never been good at cleaning.

"Well," she hummed, "The boss mentioned you were a bit shy, is that right?"

Caught off guard, Keaka stammered out, "Guzma thinks I'm shy?"

Plumeria lifted a thin eyebrow, continuing, "Yeah. Says you really don't start conversation much. You're part of a family now, you got to get know your brothers and sisters. What do you say we go and chat with some, hm?"

 _Anything but cleaning._ Keaka agreed, feeling less intimidated by Plumeria's slight smile.

"A lot of our siblings like to battle. Boss says you needed coin. Win a couple battles and you'll have some good money in your pocket."

After most Pokemon battles, the winning trainer receives compensation for their work and their pokemon's effort- usually a decent sum of money. Keaka had remembered the first time her brother came home with a pouch full of coin, his reward for winning against the neighbor boy. The next day, a group of Team Skull grunts had him clutching concrete as they ripped the prize from his puny fists, leaving him jammed into the sidewalk, sobbing. When he came home next, his shirt was torn and stained with dried blood, his face was speared by chunks of concrete and sticky with burning tears. Keaka held him on the couch for hours that night, overflowing with hatred for thugs who hurt children for cheap thrills.

The memory made her flinch. If it came down to it, Keaka would do the same, and there was no denying it. She would do anything for her brother, for his cure. Her hopes were now holding on to the idea that maybe Team Skull was above attacking children though, and that she could make the money in less morally degrading ways.

Plumeria interrupted Keaka's regretful thoughts, "Think you and your new Pokemon can handle a few battles?"

"Yeah," she felt Joltik wiggle out from hiding beneath her hair, followed by his chirping agreeance.

"Good. Follow me."

"Yes, M'am."

"Call me Plums, or big sis if you want."

"Yes, big sis."

Guzma had ordered his grunts to leave his throne room for the evening. They weren't irritating him, but their insistent arguments over who had bigger biceps made it hard to concentrate on anything, especially his early morning reflections.

Finally alone, he cracked his neck and stretched his fingers, running a hand to hold back the mess of wavy hair in his face. His computer sat open in front of him on pedestal, an illuminated screen staring blankly and shedding light on his shadowy under eyes. A curiosity had been fighting with him all night, keeping him from getting a wink of sleep: _Who was the new girl, really?_ He had a theory- that maybe she worked for his rival, Kukui, and was spying on Guzma, but it didn't fit. Perhaps the boss was just paranoid.

There were very few girls like Keaka in Ula'ula, fair skinned and peppered with freckles. Guzma figured she must burn often under the scorching Alola sun. It reminded him briefly of a memory he tried to bury, a memory of his father's friend, a redhead with a fiery temper and hairline trigger to contest his own. The ginger would visit Guzma's childhood home, often with a beat-red tan line that he scratched relentlessly until it peeled and scabbed, always making him aggressively hostile- like a sick animal lashing out in defense. But Keaka wasn't like his fathers' friends, she was the exact opposite: quiet, polite, curious. He had to remind himself of that.

Unsure, his fingers dangled uncontrollably restless above the keyboard of his computer, waiting for his mind to send a command to them. They were eager spiders hovering over un-searchable questions that could never be answered by simply exploring the internet. _Why did he feel the need to invade the new girl's privacy so badly? To know every detail about her? What was so gut-wrenchingly interesting about her?_ It wasn't his place to know yet, but the self defeat made things more difficult to cope with. In time, he would find out, but Guzma was not known to be a patient man.

"Hey, grunts! You still out there?" the boss called from his throne, eyeing the door, awaiting the definite reply.

"Yeah...," two muffled voices responded. Guzma smirked.

"I've got a secret mission for ya both, c'mere."

Keaka's first battle ended horribly. Joltik had fainted within the first five minutes into a match with a female grunt she now knew as Dahlia- or Grunt Dal. Joltik had looked back at Keaka proudly before the battle began, a determined glow in his four beaded eyes, but they'd both underestimated the strength of Grunt Dal's toxic Grimer. It took all of Keaka's own strength not to burst into tears when Joltik screeched a tiny call for help before falling limp. She'd never liked Pokemon battles. She had a reason now.

"And Guzma told me you had serious skill. Guess not." Plumeria shouldered Keaka roughly, handing the distraught newbie some medicine for her fallen Joltik. Keaka took it graciously and scurried to the spider, mindlessly forgetting about the battlegrounds until it was far too late. As she positioned herself beside Joltik, scooping him up into her palms, she felt a sharp pain in her crouched knee.

"Ow- what the-," she stumbled, steadying herself with the ground using her unoccupied hand.

"HEY! What are you doing? Are you crazy- get out of there!" Plumeria's instructions were too late.

It began to burn. The underside of her hand was sizzling, the pain cutting daggers into her soft flesh like melted butter. Joltik was covered in the same searing syrup, and it coated her skin like liquid flame. Acid. Grimer had used acid. That's what knocked her Pokemon out. Keaka had fallen into a puddle of acid, and was crouched there, dumbfounded by her own stupidity as the goo burned away every part of her it touched.

It was Plumeria to wrench her away from the splash of caustic muck, heaving Keaka's stunned body away from harm. A clicking noise registered in the girl's ear as a Pokeball activating, watching numbly as Plums secured Joltik into the red and white orb.

"Are you stupid? More importantly, are you okay?!" the exotic-haired woman squatted in front of Keaka, yanking her wrists towards her for inspection. The new girl's' eyes widened as her hands were flipped over, revealing the raw, bubbling flesh of her palms.

"Dahlia, go get the boss, now!" Plumeria authorized, pointing an unsteady finger at the doors to Team Skull's mansion. She was shaking.

Honestly, Keaka had no idea how bad her own condition was because the liquid had completely paralyzed her nerves; She felt none of the burning meat that she smelled, but the terrorized look in Plumeria's eyes gave her a good reason to panic, and panicking was Keaka's field of expertise.

"I didn't mean to-," her words tumbled out in bubbles of hysteria, of tears forming under her unblinking eyelids. Sounds faded and her vision flickered as a familiar feeling engulfed the young girl- her body was shutting itself down, knocking Keaka out for its own benefits.

Before the shadowy comatose seized her, Keaka was able to worry about one more thing: How was she going to help her brother now?

When Keaka woke, it was darker than it had been in her dreams. For a moment she wondered if she was blind until her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, taking in odd shapes outlined in the total shadow. A prickle of discomfort turned into a full-blown explosion of pins and needles as she tried to rise from her horizontal position. A mewl of defeat escaped her lips, and she fell onto her back, clutching her throbbing wrist. In a comforting way, Keaka reminded herself that she'd been through worse pain.

Guzma heard the girl shift, then collapse back down onto the bed with a short whimper followed by labored breaths. She was finally awake.

"Hey, don't move too much, kid. You'll seriously hurt yourself," the boss stood and pulled a lamp string in the corner of his rooms, and a flood of orange light decorated the new girl's folded figure wrapped his bed sheets. If she were there under different circumstances, he probably would've enjoyed the view.

"How am I?" she asked pitifully, rolling over to make eye contact with Guzma.

"Damn. Pain really wakes ya up fast, huh? You'll be fine, kid. Plumeria has suffered her own fair share of chemical burns. She fixed ya up, but ya still need rest, so if move off that bed I'll have to tie ya down, got it?"

She nodded briskly, a sort of shock filling her gaze. The new girl appeared small and helpless clutching his gigantic mattress- well, she was small and helpless, but he shamefully found it adorable. Despite wanting to curl up next to the wounded girl, Guzma turned away, tapping his foot and trying to clear more of the inappropriate feelings that circulated in his head.

"Thank you, again." she whispered shakily, catching Guzma off guard. _Fuck, that delicate voice was cute._

"Yeah, no problem," he grumbled, staring holes into his throne room wall.

"I used to hate you people- Team Skull, I mean, but you have all been... nice to me. Even though I'm a total screw-up..."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. If the new girl knew what was going through Guzma's head, she might not think that he was so nice. Her fucking voice was milotic, albeit weak and powerless, but he found himself loving it.

"So... thank you, Guzma." Hearing her say his name in that whimpering tone he so adored was more or less a tipping point. On eager heels, he swiveled around to face her.

"You're stupid. Ya know that? Stumblin' right into a puddle of acid like a dumb little kid! You shouldn't even be here! You don't belong here, and you sure as hell don't belong in _my_ bed. Too bad Plumeria has a big fuckin' heart, or else I would've kicked you out the second you pulled that stupid shit. Team Skull isn't right for you. Why the hell did you even join?" Guzma wasn't angry at her, he was frustrated with himself. It didn't help that the girl began to tear up, causing the boss's words to come back full force and smack him in the face.

He was right. Keaka wasn't 'Keaka,' she was Kona. She didn't belong in Team Skull. She belonged at home with her brother, watching him come home with Pokemon battle stories to tell and small gifts to give her. It hadn't been Guzma's words to make the flow of tears start up once again, it had been the thought of her baby brother, alone in a bed, sick and dying while she was being "a dumb little kid." A dreadful feeling of helplessness tugged the salty water from her eyes, but she held it back at the feeling of someone sitting down beside her on the bed.

A hand gripped her shoulder and she glanced up to see the apologetic gaze of the man who had just viciously scolded her.

"Fuck. I didn't mean-... Ah, fuck. I didn't mean all of that. It's just that... ever since you showed up like a stupid lost puppy, I haven't been able to get my mind off of ya. You're not like the rest of us 'ere, I guess, and I... like that." Even in the dingy lamp glow, Keaka could clearly see the burning red tint spreading across the boss's whole face. She was shocked, small mouth gaping open, staring innocently up at him. "Fuck, forget what I just said. Repeat any of it outside of this room and I'll-,"

"You like me?" she blurted, unable to hold back the question. Guzma's lip quivering silence and glowing red face was her answer even before he spoke. It was his turn to be flustered.

"Does it even matter? You're too good of a person to be with someone like-," he didn't want to finish his own statement.

To Keaka's knowledge, nobody had ever liked her before. She was the poor girl that lived in a shack with her brother, left by her abusive father to rot in a pathetic dump. She'd never been anything to anyone else except a big sister, an insignificant stain in the corner of everyone's life. For a moment she wondered if maybe that's why she felt at home with Team Skull. Keaka had gone from washing dishes and doing laundry to being the center of attention in an infamous gang of thieves, and the boss had his eye out for her. Some kind of twisted Cinderella story.

Looking up at Guzma, Keaka felt her heart skip a beat. His grey eyes were searching her face for some kind of response, one she didn't know if she'd be able to give him. Sure, he was attractive: Tall and tan, built with broad shoulders and a thin waist she would kill to see more of, topped off with a nice jawline and ridiculously feathery, white hair. But was she really going to let his kind of thing happen?

So much had been moving fast over the span of a couple days, she didn't think one more thing could make her life much worse.

"You're good too. You've been good to me. The people here like you. I'm not above you in any way," she gulped back the hitch in her voice.

"It's just the pain talking."

She'd completely forgotten about her hands, wrapped in gauze. She shook her head. "I can't even feel it right now."

"What are you saying then?" he questioned.

Keaka didn't know. Was she losing her mind? "W-what kind of way do you like me?"

"You don't want to know."

"Try me."


End file.
